With negotiations starting this year on both our Salary Contract and our Fringe Benefit Contract, it's important that CAPE members know who is making the decisions on proposals from management's side.
Ultimately, it is the five members of the County Board of Supervisors that gives direction on what we'll see at the negotiations table. Likewise, they will vote to ratify whatever agreement we eventually secure at the table.
The Board of Supervisors approves proposals and signs off on agreements, but they do that with the advice and budget information provided by the County Chief Executive Officer -- CEO -- or in the current situation, our acting CEO. The CEO is responsible for providing cost information for current salary levels, estimates for the current and out-year costs of across-the-board pay increases, and enhancements to our Choices, Horizons and other benefits governed by the Fringe Benefits Contract.
Department heads also play an important role. The CEO's office consults department heads to make determinations on proposals for special pay items, such as those outlined at the negotiations table in pay inequity presentations. The final determination on those items is almost always at the CEO's office.
CAPE members will receive their last pay raise of the current salary contract on April 1, 2015. By that time, we expect to have our CAPE Bargaining Team already in place and well on our way to finalizing our initial proposals. By June, we'll be working with the other CCU-affiliated employee associations to craft our initial proposals for the Fringe Contract Negotiations.
A big part of our strength at the negotiations table stems from the awareness and support from CAPE members. We encourage every CAPE member to watch for developments as the 2015 Salary and Fringe Contract negotiations get underway.